Animal Collective and Fever Ray

Animal Collective- 'Merriweather Post Pavillion'

The Baltimore trio follow up 2007's 'Strawberry Jam' with another free wheeling collection of avant-garde musical explosions. Nmed after a music hall in Maryland the album is the bands most accomplished to date focusing the many influences that created their previous work into a streamlined and direct hit. Taking influence from folk, abrasive noise and off kilter rhythms Animal Collective are always an interesting listen and MPP is no different, from begining to end this album challenges and delights at every turn. From the electro-pop 'My Love' to the Afro tinged 'Brother Sport' the album twists and turns in every direction but the one you expect it to. A fantastic messy scramble.

Fever Ray- 'Fever Ray'

A.k.a. Karin Andersson of The Knife's side project. To call it a side project would perhaps be derogatory though as 'Fever Ray' is a deep and all encompassing journey that has clearly taken a great deal of time and invention to create. The sounds created here are more organic and less processed than those of The Knife and possibly darker too. 'If I Had A Heart', the lead single from the album is a hypnotic and dark slab of melancholic electro and much of the album follows suit. Sounding at times like a film score the quality never drops with tracks such as 'Dry and Dusty' and 'Coconut' creating a claustrophobic atmosphere in the listeners mind. Upbeat moments are here too though with 'Triangle Walks' an enjoyably breezy let up. Heavy and demanding the rewards are there for those that persevere with Fever Ray.

'If I Had A Heart'

Animal Collective and Fever Ray